Alabama

San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews is mobbed by teammates, including offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, right, after scoring a touchdown on a 3-yard run against the Jacksonville Jaguars during an NFLgame in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013. (AP Photo)

On Sunday, former Murphy star Captain Munnerlyn did something he does just about every time he intercepts a pass in the NFL, but D.J. Fluker, who prepped at McGill-Toolen and Foley, had to think back to his high school days in Coastal Alabama for the last time he did what he did for the San Diego Chargers. Both players made big contributions to victories by their teams.

Munnerlyn returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play of the Carolina Panthers' 30-15 victory over the St. Louis Rams. The cornerback tied a team record with his fourth career TD interception return. Munnerlyn has returned each of his past three interceptions for touchdowns.

Fluker, a rookie from Alabama starting at right offensive tackle for San Diego, played left offensive tackle for most of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With two linemen hurt, the Chargers flipped Fluker's side of the line, but San Diego gave up only one sack in a 24-6 victory.

Munnerlyn credited blitzing safety Quintin Mikell for his Pick-6.

"Quintin Mikell made the play," Munnerlyn said. "He hit the quarterback's arm, and it was like a punt return for me. It floated up there, and I was in position to make a move and get in the end zone."

Munnerlyn made a diving interception off St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford in the middle of the field, scrambled to his feet and picked his way 45 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to give the Panthers the lead before they even snapped the ball.

Munnerlyn also recovered a fumble - pouncing on it just before it went out of bounds - at the Carolina 37 with the Panthers leading 7-0 and helped stop St. Louis running back Zac Stacy at the Carolina 1-yard line on a third-and-goal play. The Rams went for it on fourth down and threw an incomplete pass.

And that was all in the first quarter for Munnerlyn. For the game, he finished with five tackles and knocked away two other passes after his interception.

Former Auburn standout King Dunlap is San Diego's starter at left offensive tackle, but he left Sunday's game with a concussion in the first quarter. Four plays later, Dunlap's replacement, Mike Remmers, went down with an injury. The Chargers reconfigured their offensive line, moving Fluker to left tackle, shifting right guard Jeromey Clary to right tackle and bringing Rich Ohrnberger into the game at right guard.

Rivers on Fluker at LT "He did a heck of a job..he kind of had the wide eyes early. Around here we say 'just ball' and that's what he did"

Fluker, who played right tackle at Alabama, said he hadn't practiced at left tackle with the Chargers and had to recall what he did in high school to help him play the left side on Sunday.

"I was a little nervous," Fluker said. "So I had to kind of calm down, and the coaches just told me to be patient and it will come. And eventually that happened. I got beat a couple times, but I haven't been over there for so long. Other than that, I think I did OK."

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers was sacked just once when former Vigor star Sen'Derrick Marks pulled him down. The ex-Auburn star had three tackles, including the sack and a tackle for loss, plus a quarterback hurry and a batted-down pass, but the Jaguars still dropped to 0-7 for the season.

"It was a big letdown for the team, for the fans, for the city," Marks told The Associated Press. "Everybody who believes in Jacksonville, it was a letdown from us to them. We've got to take full responsibility for what happened."

Marks was involved in a play illustrative of how the season's going for the Jags. After Jacksonville stopped a San Diego run for 1 yard on a second-and-34 play, Marks was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Chargers an automatic first down.

"I just went over, and I actually did push (an offensive lineman's) helmet and was like, 'Dude, don't hold me no more,'" Marks said. "But the ref said I tried to poke him in the eye. But it was all on me because I did turn around and walk back to him. I accept all the blame for that. That whole penalty was my fault and that continuation of that drive was all my fault."

The San Diego/Jacksonville game was one of two on Sunday that had a former Coastal Alabama prep star on each team. Defensive end Wallace Gilberry, a former Baldwin County and Alabama star, came out on top against defensive tackle Nick Fairley, a former Williamson and Auburn standout, when Mike Nugent kicked a 54-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Cincinnati Bengals to a 27-24 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Marks isn't the only former Coastal Alabama prep star on a winless NFL team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to 0-6 with a 31-23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Mark Barron, who played at St. Paul's before going to Alabama, made two tackles as the Bucs' strong safety.

On the other end of the standings, center Rodney Hudson, a former B.C. Rain standout, anchored Kansas City's offensive line in a 17-16 victory over the Houston Texans that lifted the Chiefs to 7-0. Kansas City became the first team since the NFL/AFL merger to have the league's worst record, then win its first seven games the next season. The Chiefs went 2-14 in 2012. Nico Johnson, who played at Andalusia before going to Alabama, is a rookie linebacker for the Chiefs and played on special teams against Houston.

Another former Coastal Alabama prep star saw his team win on a final field goal, too. The New York Jets, with cornerback Ellis Lankster from Vigor playing on special teams, defeated the New England Patriots 30-27 in overtime in an AFC East game.